In case American tennis fans still have not caught on to 18-year-old Cici Bellis, she’s making quite an impression these past few weeks. Last week she defeated two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in front of home fans at Stanford.

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This week, she has scored a huge win over former No. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova in Toronto to reach the round of 16. It doesn’t matter where or against who, Bellis is playing big time tennis.

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She has shot up to No. 36 in the world and is bidding for a seeding at the US Open. The teen has proved to be a good mover on clay, versatile with low shots on grass and completely in command with fearless variety shots on hard courts.

Her 20-11 overall record in 2017 is even more efficient against the best of the WTA.

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There’s growing respect for Bellis’ talent. After a two-day loss in the French Open third round to Caroline Wozniacki, she was given this glowing prediction:

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Former world No. 1 Chris Evert has been keeping her eye on Bellis.

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Bellis is a distinctive star in the making with her banded ponytail, whiplash strokes and aggressive nature.

She has shown rapid development in adjusting to her opponents, and is more than willing to discuss in-match strategy with her coach.

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Bellis is certainly one to watch during the rest of the US Open Series and in New York.

Follow Jeremy on Twitter: @JeremyEckstein1